WHAM-Ö

 

Note the following information on two notable person recently added to Wikipedia’s Deaths in 2025 site:

• Kenneth Colley (7 December 1937 – 30 June 2025) 87,  actor (The Empire Strikes Back
• Lucian Leape (November 7, 1930 – June 30, 2025)  94, physician, medical scholar

Their surnames and dates of birth stand out.  As to their names we get a cryptic phrase “collie leap” when applying two clusters: the  “Homophone” pattern cluster  (colley = collie) and the “Remove a Letter in Name Makes a Word” pattern cluster (remove “e” makes “leap”).  What immediately comes to mind with the phrase, collie leap, is the fact that border collies are renown for their leaping abilities and often participate in frisbee competitions.  Following the “frisbee” lead brought me to the name of the company who has the rights to and produces the frisbee: Wham-O.  As soon as I saw the name, I knew that we were on the “wright” track.  And note the cryptic “hams” (butt) in Wham!!  This excerpt from Wham-O’s wiki page provides us with our next lead: 

Richard Knerr (1925–2008^[2]) and Arthur "Spud" Melin (1924–2002^[3]), two University of Southern California graduates who were friends since their teen2, were unhappy with their jobs and decided to start their own business.

His surname Knerr’s is an addition to the “Remove a Letter in Name Makes a Word” pattern cluster … as in “Kerr”— the name of a breed of dog!! 

Note from Knerr’s wiki page: 

Richard Knerr (30 June 1925 – 14 January 2008)

WHOA, both Kenneth Colley and Lucian Leape died on Knerr’s birthday!!  We have a “Timely” and a “June 30(x3)”pattern cluster.  

As well, the birthdays of Colley and Leape generates a: 

“__, November 7, December 7/7th Day, Month Sequence” pattern cluster.

Anyone up for bridging the gap?